It's back to school for Kingham old girls

OLD girls from a boarding school near Chipping Norton will have a chance to sleep in their old school beds at a special reunion.

This year marks 20 years since Kingham Hill School first started to take female pupils.

The school itself dates back to 1886, but it was not until 1992 that girls were allowed in.

Julie Stodart-Cook, senior house parent at the school, is among those organising the reunion, which will take place at the school on Saturday.

Mrs Stodart-Cook, who has been at the school for 16 years, said: “We have been using social networking, texting and emailing people so hopefully we’ll get a good turnout.

“I can’t wait to see some of the girls I haven’t seen for a long time.

“Some of them have their own children now.”

The reunion will kick off with lunch, and a chance to catch up with old friends, followed by tea and cakes, croquet on the lawn and then speeches in the hall.

And many of the old girls have laid claim to their old beds to stay the night in the girls’ boarding house.

Mrs Stodart-Cook said she had photograph albums documenting the last 20 years, but was keen for former pupils to bring their own pictures and memorabilia.

It is also planned to have an information board where the women can put their business cards and network with each other.

About 50 people have confirmed they will attend the event so far, and it is hoped the final numbers will be closer to 100.

When girls first started at the school in 1992, there were about 20 pupils.

That number has grown to 100, with another 180 boys making up the small independent school.

It has become increasingly popular with female pupils so the school is planning to convert one of the buildings to a new boarding house for girls, which will be open by September.

Mrs Stodart-Cook said due to the Christian ethos of the school, a number of the old girls had gone into mission work, while others were working and living abroad, and another was about to join
Sandhurst.

She said: “We are trying to get in touch with as many people as possible – we would like the 35-year-olds as well as the 18-year-olds.”